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WEIRD WORLD | Spinning plates

Like spinning plates: Giant ice formation is an internet hit


Digital writers
theweathernetwork.com

Wednesday, January 16, 2019, 4:52 PM - A rare ice phenomenon is spinning away in a river in Maine, and it's become an internet sensation.

The spinning disc is roughly the size of a football field and can be found off the banks of the Presumpscot River.

(RELATED: Incredible ice formations found in BC cave)

Officials say it's moving in a counter-clockwise direction.

Experts say these types of formations are possible in slow-moving, rotating sections of a river. Slow-moving water freezes faster, creating a circle of ice.

The disk was first spotted Monday morning, according to The Weather Channel.


“It’s stuck right there. It’s not going anywhere. I think it will continue to gain in thickness as long as it keeps spinning,” Rob Mitchell, a local business office owner who was one of the first people to spot the disk, told the Portland Press Herald.

He said the spinning ice is serving as a "giant lazy Susan" for curious ducks that have landed to investigate.

(RELATED: The six freakiest kinds of winter weather)

Witnesses say it takes about 49 minutes for the saucer to complete a rotation.

There is more snow on the way for the area, so there's a chance the disk could grow even larger in the days to come.

VIDEO: ICE MOUNTAINS FORM ON LAKE ERIE



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